


untitled oof

by albreteinstong



Category: LGBT - Fandom
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-24 07:57:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18567166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/albreteinstong/pseuds/albreteinstong
Summary: if you like this, cool, feedback would be great, but im just posting this so i have a place to put it





	untitled oof

June 2nd, 1996

 

I was one of the first passengers to board the train, so I walked to the very end of the hall and took the last seat. I shoved my suitcase into the upper storage compartment, sat down, and drew a deep breath. The train ride, an estimated thirteen hours, intimidated me; I’d never traveled much. I hoped my Sony Walkman was enough to get me through the ride to Redding, California.

“Excuse me,” A tall, tan girl stood next to the empty seat next to mine. “Could I sit here?”

“Sure,” I smiled. She seemed nice, and considering how much the ride would drag, making a friend or two didn’t comply as a bad idea.

“Thanks,” She plopped down into the seat after putting up her luggage. “What takes you from Washington to California?”

“My dad’s on his way to Costa Rica for the summer to study the wildlife there. He’s sending me to live with my abuela in Cottonwood until he’s back,” I held my tongue; there was a lot more I could say, but I couldn’t read the girl’s eyes. Whether she was actually interested or just trying to make conversation I was yet to discover.

“Aw, that’s dope! I wanted to major in zoology, but I’m starting with biology. I’m starting my first year at Simpson University in September. I’m going to visit Redding for a week and try to get to know the area for a bit, and I plan on visiting a couple times more before I start school,” The girl spoke fast, and said more than I was able to pick up, but I got the gist of it.

I wasn’t sure what to say in response, so I dropped a simple question. “What’s your name?”

“Valentina,” She beamed and offered her hand. “Valentina Loredo. Yours?”

“Milo Goodwin. Well, my first name’s Rey, but I go by my middle name,” I gave her hand a gentle but confident shake.

Valentina’s golden eyes sparkled, in a mysterious but mesmerizing way. If she dug me, I’d never be able to tell. That didn’t matter to me, though. Girls never appealed to me much; I’m not sure why. Valentina was friendly and chatty, just the kind of person I needed to keep me sane on this brutal ride ahead of me.

 

Valentina took out a book and started to read, so I interpreted that as a signal that our conversation was over. I pulled out a box, no bigger than a thick book, from my backpack, and set it on my lap.

Valentina’s eyes shifted from her reading. “What’s that?”

I grinned in reponse, and unfastened the box. Inside were five cassettes; I had more in my suitcase, but I figured these particular ones were best for travel.

I let Valentina inspect the tapes; she commentated her thoughts:

“The Smiths! Mm, nice..”

“Abba! You just earned my respect.”

“Ooh, Weezer! My dad loves them.”

“The Beatles.. hell yeah.”

She stared at the last tape, flipped it over, then nodded to herself. “Itzel’s Mix,” She read aloud.

I tried to swallow the lump that now loitered in my throat. “Y-yeah...” I took a deep breath.  _Relax_ _._ “My mamá. It’s got all her favorite songs on there, songs that remind me and my dad of her... songs we used to all dance to in our kitchen...”

Valentina gazed at me; I didn’t dare make eye contact, but she seemed to understand. Her mysterious eyes were clear this time, and they displayed compassion, but also heaviness. “I’m sorry...” She paused for a moment, then perked up as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. “I’ve got a whole bag of butterscotch candies, you want some?”

I finally managed to lift my eyes. “That’d be great.”

 

We snacked on the butterscotch and some pretzels I had kept in my backpack. The heavy mood soon dissipated as Valentina and I got to know each other better and listened to Abba together on my Walkman. A couple hours passed quickly, like the passing trees out the window.

Valentina spilt all her college plans to me, while I tried my best to listen intently and ask the appropriate questions. She clearly hadn’t had a chance to express her excitement, and I was happy to let her do so.

Valentina and I both graduated high school just the previous month, but she took a few extra steps ahead in the race of adult life; she had her life laid out. I, on the other hand, still didn’t know what college I’d attend, if I even decided to go. I was content, though, waiting it all out for a year. Mamá had always talked about how important ‘finding yourself’ was. My entire life, I’ve been constantly moving toward a certain goal, putting in my best effort to please myself and my family. At last I had a break; time to think. My faith in finding myself waited for me in Cottonwood, California.


End file.
